Higgins stresses importance of renewed national focus on Alzheimer's disease

by jmaloni

Press release

Wed, Apr 17th 2013 09:30 am

Congressman
to speak at symposium in Western New York, meet with local delegates
in Washington, D.C.

Congressman
Brian Higgins, NY-26, recently took to the House of Representatives
Floor to raise awareness of the need for a renewed national focus on
preventing, treating and caring for those with Alzheimer's disease.

Higgins
is scheduled to provide opening remarks at a dementia care symposium
for caregivers and health care professionals hosted by the Alzheimer's
Association of Western New York on Friday. He will also meet with
local Alzheimer's Association delegates in his Washington, D.C.,
office next week.

"We
applaud Congressman Higgins' efforts to highlight the profound need
for funding for Alzheimer's disease research, and we are thrilled
that he sees the importance of our work to support caregivers and
those with dementia by speaking at our conference," said Rachel
Rotach, director of advocacy and early stage programming for the
Alzheimer's Association, WNY Chapter.

Higgins
is a cosponsor Health Outcomes, Planning, and Education for
Alzheimer's Act (HOPE Act), a bill providing direct reimbursement for
doctor services that diagnose and treat Alzheimer's and other
dementia-related diseases, which will soon to re-introduced in the
House of Representatives.

Below
is the text of Higgins' speech:

"Mr.
Speaker, on Friday I will participate in a symposium on dementia
being sponsored by the Western New York chapter of the Alzheimer's
Association.

"This
event is a reminder that, while progress has been made in
understanding Alzheimer's, there is still a great deal that we must
learn about how to treat this terrible illness.

"Alzheimer's
is a disease whose origins are unknown, but whose end is absolutely
certain. It is a disease that has touched the families of many in
this chamber, including my own. According to the Alzheimer's
Association, as many as 5 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease,
with prevalence expected to increase over the next several decades.

"With
so many in Washington mindlessly devoted to the agenda of austerity,
we must remember that our budget is not only an accounting statement
- but also a statement of our values. I urge a rejection of
austerity and an increase in the funding we need for medical research
to find a cure for diseases, like Alzheimer's, that devastate so
many American families."

Alzheimer's
disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S., expected to
cost the nation $203 billion this year and increase to $1.2 trillion
by 2050.